Agent for removing solid particles

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to an agent for removing solid particles form surfaces, containing polymers, surfactants and other constituents. The above-mentioned polymers are naturally polygalactomanans. The agent exists in the form of a gel and runs together or can be mixed together so that the contaminated particles are embedded in the material and new surfaces are formed for receiving other contaminated particles. The invention also relates to the use of agents such as gel cleaners, cold cleaners, neutral cleaners, textile cleaners, disinfectives and/or technical cleaners.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to an agent for removing solidparticles from surfaces, its manufacture and use. The agent inparticular is suitable for cleaning difficultly accessible and/orsensitive surfaces and for the fluff-free removal of solid particles.

[0002] Conventional chemical cleaning agents for hard surfaces areoffered as liquid or foam-like (also in spray form), pasty or solidcleaners. So-called microemulsions are also applied for washing andcleaning processes. From these cleaners it is expected that they displayan optimal application profile in the concentrated condition as well asin a diluted, aqueous or organic solution, in combination withmechanical energy and a mechanical cleaning means, for example a spongeor cloth.

[0003] The use of cleaning cloths or cleaning tissues in practise maynot be effected without fluff. On the one hand fibres or fibre parts ofthe tissue or fabric of the cloth and tissue are released. On the otherhand also dirt fibres which have been accommodated by the cleaning clothor cleaning fabric are released since these do not adhere sufficiently.In pure space conditions this again and again leads to problems, and tolittle acceptance of these products.

[0004] The mentioned chemical and mechanical cleaning agents are verysuitable for smooth, relatively insensitive surfaces. They are howevernot so suitable if difficultly accessible surfaces, such as cardashboards or keyboards of telephones, mobile telephones and computersare to be cleaned. The various liquid cleaners obtainable on the marketalthough being able to be sprayed or deposited on these without anyproblem, their removal together with the dirt particles for example outof the intermediate spaces of a computer keyboard or a car dashboardmust however be effected with mechanical means such as tissues, spongesor paper, a procedure which with the described difficultly accessiblesurfaces has been shown to be almost impossible. Furthermore thereexists the danger that the liquid or foam cleaner or cleaning agentflows onto sensitive electronics parts and leads to damage. As a resultof the drying of the solvent, residues of dust and cleaning agent formbetween the computer buttons or in the interstices of dashboards, whichthen are even more awkward to remove and in time attack the surfaceswhich were supposed to be cleaned.

[0005] Screens, for example of television apparatus and computers reactvery sensitively to mechanical cleaning. On account of the depositingand rubbing or wiping of the conventional cleaning agent in combinationwith the dust particles there often occurs fine scratches of thesurfaces which compromises the picture quality. If the screens arecleaned in a “dry” manner, i.e. only mechanically with a cloth andwithout a liquid agent, the apparatus are often statically charged whichmay lead to very slight electric shocks which are however unpleasant.

[0006] A further disadvantage of the conventional chemical cleaningagents is their ecological compatibility. Although conforming to theregulations of laws throughout Europe with respect to washing andcleaning agents with regard to their biological degradability, thequantities of surfactants, acids and alkalines which get into the wastewater system and must be broken down here is relatively large. With themechanical means such as the above described cloths for screens oroptical apparatus, it must further be mentioned that they may only beused once and then usually need to be disposed of. The same applies toadhesive rollers which are widely used as “fluff rollers”. After a shortperiod of use the adhesive surfaces are completely covered with hair,fluff and other dirt particles. The cleaning effect is virtually lostand the surface section of the adhesive roller must be disposed of.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] It is the object of the invention to provide a cleaning agentwhich is capable of removing solid particles from difficultly accessiblesurfaces which at the same time may be easily applied and isecologically compatible and may be used over a longer period of timewith a sustained high cleaning effect.

[0008] The cleaning agent of the present invention should furthermorepermit a gentle mechanical cleaning of surfaces of sensitive materialssuch as glass, ceramic, wood, various plastics and metals, and beapplicable as a gel cleaner, cold cleaner, neutral cleaner, disinfectioncleaner and technical cleaner. According to the consistency, the meansis also suitable for removing threads of dust, hair and similar matterfrom textiles.

[0009] The various objects of the present invention are achieved by themanufacture of a gel-like cleaning agent based on naturalpolysaccharides and chemically modified polysaccharides, in particularpolygalactomanans or synthetic polymers. The agent is formulated in amanner such that a soft, easily deformable mass results which adapts toevery contour, at the same time is cohesive so that small gaps andcavities are reached without however leaving residues when it is removedfrom the surface to be cleaned.

[0010] By way of dabbing, laying or pressing, the dust particles, greaseor other contamination are accommodated by the surface of the cleaningagent by way of cohesion, i.e. a mechanical (physical) cleaning takesplace, but without chaffing or rubbing etc. Since the mass of thecleaning agent is gel-like and runs together, i.e. can be mixedtogether, the dirt particles are embedded into the mass and new surfacesare formed which may accommodate further dirt particles.

[0011] Depending on the acting time the cleaning mass also acts suchthat it releases dirt and/or fat. With a simple dabbing-off however theacting time may be too small in order to release contamination or greaserigidly adhering to the surface to be cleaned.

[0012] Due to its consistency, its constitution and its chemicalstructure the cleaning agent according to application and requirementmay be cut up or reduced in size and may also “grow together” again. Asyneresis, i.e. an “ageing” of the mass due to drying-out and/or waterprecipitation hardly occurs since the solvents and cleaning fluids arepresent bound in a structure gel.

[0013] By way of accommodating dirt particles the colour of the cleaningagent changes for example from an intensively shining yellow to agreenish-yellow colour tone, which is an indicator for the contaminationof the mass with dirt.

[0014] Due to its special composition the cleaning agent of the presentinvention acts in a degreasing and disinfecting manner (bactericide,viricide and fungicide). It has low or no flammability, it isenvironment-friendly, skin-compatible and antistatic and does not stick.Since it is mildly alkaline, it neither causes corrosion nor does itlead to rusting of the cleaned surfaces.

EXAMPLE

[0015] With the cleaning agent according to the invention it is the caseof a gel-like mass with a particularly slow-flowing cohesiveconsistency, which releases the smallest solid particles such as dustand pollen from a surfaces and bonds these.

[0016] As a base substance for the gel-like cleaning agent of thepresent invention with particularly slow flow behaviour one usespolygalactomanans such as guar seed flour and/or carob seed flour. Guarflour is obtained by milling the endosperm of the guar bean belonging tothe family Leguminosae. The main component of guar flour is guar gumwhich is, as indicated above, a polygalactomanan or polysacchariderespectively. As a natural thickening agent guar flour is widely used asa stabilizing agent and thickener in the field of foodstuffs, in thetextile industry and in the explosives sector.

[0017] Carob seed flour is obtained from the seeds located in the podsof the carob tree, whose endosperm consist of up to 90% ofhigh-molecular galactomanan. The field of application of carob seedflour is likewise in the foodstuff industry, but also in the tobacco andpaper industries. Guar seed flour as well as carob seed flour areobtainable on the market.

[0018] For manufacturing the cleaning agent of the present invention,according to the solvent used, one preferably applies chemically and/orphysically modified guar seed flour. With this it is the case ofcarboxymethylised, alkylised or hydroxyalkylised galactomanans orhydoxyalkylised cationic derivatives. Guar products which are etherisedwith quaternary ammonium compounds or have been oxidatively orhydrolytically depolymerised may likewise be applied.

[0019] On manufacture of gel-like cleaning agents according to theinvention with a particularly slow flow behaviour one however usescationically modified guar flour and/or carob flour which for examplehas been obtained by the addition of boron ions to the galactomanans.

[0020] Gels with a similar flow behaviour may also be obtained by theaddition of a complex-forming substances to synthetic hydrocolloidsolutions such as for example polyvinyl alcohol solution, for example byreaction of polyvinyl alcohol with boric acid on the one hand and boricacid salts on the other hand, with pH-shifting into the alkaline(polyvinyl alcohol boric acid didiol complex) and the addition of asuitable softener such as ethylene glycol, di- and triethylene glycol,PEG, glycerine.

[0021] A large constituent part of the cleaning agent, i.e. 70 to 97%,preferably 90 to 95% of the mass consists of a bonded water and organicsolvent. The mass has a good compatibility with electrolytes, glycol andalcohol. Saturated, monovalent alcohols such as methyl alcohol, ethylalcohol, isopropyl alcohol or mixtures thereof are preferred.

[0022] The mass of the cleaning agent has a good compatibility withwash-active substances. Water-soluble, hydrolysis-stable surfactantswhich additionally to their cleaning effect also contribute to theimprovement of the slidability of the mass and for preventing adhesionand which also act as an antistatic agent are applied. One preferablyapplies surfactants with the chemical base structure polydimethylsiloxane polyoxyalkylene, copolymers and/or nonionogenic surfactantssuch as polysiloxane polyether copolymers.

[0023] The addition of suitable preservatives offers a wide spectrum ofanti-bacterial effect from gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria andprotection from mould fungus and viruses. Such commercially availableproducts may for example have the following substances or mixturesthereof: esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid, imidazolidine urea,diiodomethyl sulfonyltoluol.

[0024] The addition of fragrances is desirable.

[0025] The viscosity measured at 25° C. according to the application ofthe gel-like cleaning agent is 50,000 to 150,000 mPa.s, preferablybetween 80,000 and 120,000 and mostly preferred 100,000 mPa.s.

[0026] One cleaning agent according to the invention accordingly forexample consists of a water/alcohol mixture with a content of 0.1 to 6percent by weight of glactomanan and 0.01 to 0.5% of boron with apH-value of 6-10. As boron components sodium tetra borate (borax) andboric acid are suitable for cross linking. Disinfectants, colorants,preservatives, surfactants, aromatics are added to the cleaner insuitable quantities, adapted to the demanded profile of the cleaner. ThepH value when required may be set by way of the addition of phosphates,for example trisodium phosphate and soda.

[0027] The cleaning agent according to the invention according to theabove used application is a combination of chemical and mechanicalcleaning agents, preferably however comprises both types of cleanerswithout having their disadvantages. The completely new consistency opensup fields of application which until now could not even be accomplishedsatisfactorily by a combination of existing cleaners. The new cleaner isready for use at any time and need not be mixed or prepared in any othermanner. One requires no type of mechanical cleaning utensils in order touse the cleaner according to the invention. The cleaner is preferablysupplied in portion containers which simultaneously provide the userwith storage when not in use.

1. An agent for removing solid particles from surfaces, containingpolymers, surfactants and further ingredients, wherein the mentionedpolymers are natural polygalactomanans.
 2. An agent according to claim1, wherein the mentioned natural polygalactomanans are guar seed flourand/or carob seed flour.
 3. An agent according to claim 1 or 2,characterised in that the guar seed flour and carob seed flour ischemically and/or physically modified.
 4. An agent according to claim 3,wherein the guar seed flour is carboxymethylised, alkylised,hydroxyalkylised, etherised with quatemary ammonium compounds,oxidatively or hydrolytically depolymerised or cationically modified. 5.An agent according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the guar seed flour andcarob seed flour is cationically modified or cross-linked by theaddition of boron ions.
 6. An agent according to one of the precedingclaims, wherein its mass up to 70-97%, preferably up to 95% consists ofbound water and solvent.
 7. An agent according to claim 6, wherein thesolvent is a saturated, monovalent alcohol selected from the groupconsisting of methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol ormixtures thereof.
 8. An agent according to claim 1, wherein thesurfactants contained therein are water-soluble, hydrolysis-stablesurfactants of the chemical structure of polydimethyl siloxanepolyoxyalkylene copolymers, or non-ionogenic surfactants of the chemicalstructure of polysiloxane polyether copolymers.
 9. An agent according toclaim 1, wherein as further ingredients it comprises fungicidal,bactericidal and viricidal agents, colorants, and preservatives.
 10. Anagent according to one of the preceding claims, wherein it has aviscosity of 50,000 to 150,000 mPa.s, preferably between 80,000 and120,000 mPa.s and mostly preferred 100,000 mPa.s.
 11. An agent accordingto one of the preceding claims, wherein it comprises a water/alcoholmixture with a content of 0.1 to 6 percent by weight of galactomanan and0.01 to 0.5 % boron, with a pH value of 6-10.
 12. An agent according toclaim 1, wherein the mentioned polymers are synthetic polymers such aspolyvinyl alcohol, to which complexing agents and softeners are added.13. An agent according to claim 12, wherein the complexing agents areboric acid and/or boric acid salts.
 14. An agent according to claim 1,wherein the agent is gel-like and runs together or can be mixed togetherso that dirt particles may be embedded into the mass and new surfacesare formed, for further accommodation of dirt particles.
 15. A methodfor manufacturing agents according to claim 1, wherein a solution ordispersion of polymers, water-soluble, hydrolysis-stable surfactants andfurther ingredients is manufactured and one sets a pH value of 6-10. 16.The use of the agent according to claim 1 as a gel-cleaner, coldcleaner, neutral cleaner, textile cleaner, disinfectant cleaner and/ortechnical cleaner.